1. Field of the Invention
The technical scope of the invention is that of armoring elements for a structure, such as a military vehicle or fixed structure (command post or building).
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to apply a passive or reactive armoring element to the wall of a structure to provide additional protection, for example against rockets or shaped-charge projectiles.
These add-on protections are mounted in the field to overcome a specific threat. They are dismounted when that specific threat is no longer present.
Known add-on armoring elements more often than not comprise a casing that is fixed to the structure and that encloses passive or reactive armoring modules.
These modules are more often than not inclined like louvered shutters with respect to the back of the casing. Such as arrangement increases the protection provided by armoring, for an equal mass, in fact the consumption of the dart by the projection of metallic plates in reactive armoring is maximal in this case.
By way of an example, patents EP-2045566 and EP-1331466 disclose such armoring elements. A problem encountered with known armoring elements is that it is not easy for an armoring module to be replaced further to its deterioration after a firing. More often than not, the whole armoring element has to be dismounted in order for its to be refurbished in a workshop. This is made even more complicated by the fact that, as described in EP-2045566, the shock-absorbing elements separating the armoring modules are in contact with the armoring modules and are sometimes fixed to one another by bonding.
An armoring element is also known by U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,299 made in the form of a parallelepipedic case provided with lateral slots in which inserts of armoring material may be inserted. However, such a case does not allow the easy replacement of the inserts in the field. Indeed, when the different cases are linked to the vehicle, and thus fixed beside one another, it is no longer possible to access the lateral slots.